A New Star in StarClan
by Snowfeather4876
Summary: We all know how Honeyfern died, bitten by a snake. But what was she really thinking? How did she feel? And what happened to her after death and before StarClan? One-shot.


**Yes! Celebration time! My exams have finished, so I can update ' The Four of the Sky' more often! I basically did this in my revision time, because I needed a break, so I did this over 3 days whenever I had the time! If you want to know what this one-shot is about, read the summary!**

**Honeyfern's POV (Point Of View)**

I grabbed a vole from the fresh-kill pile in my mouth and trotted over to the hazel bush under which the elders had disappeared. I ducked my head down to avoid the prickly stems and my paws padded on the dappled earth floor. I had always been surprised that all three of them, Mousefur, Longtail and Purdy, could fit under a hazel bush which wasn't all too big comfortably, but the elders seemed happy enough, even Mousefur. I saw Longtail curled in his mossy nest, trying to get to sleep again over Purdy's voice, which was telling some sort of story about a mouse, but he lifted his head and turned his sightless eyes towards me as he heard my presence.

I dropped the vole at Mousefur's brown paws, which were tinged with silver fur. I felt a little sad; Mousefur was no longer among the youngest cats, although her body remained wiry. Her eyes, which were the colour of sunlight ice, looked into mine with gratitude.

"Thank you, Honeyfern," mumbled Mousefur through a mouthful of vole.

"There are not that many cats that would willingly fetch food for us elders if they didn't have to," agreed Longtail. I was taken aback; Mousefur hardly ever thanked anyone. Perhaps she was noticing her age.

"Your right," meowed Purdy, stopping his story for a couple of moments. "These young 'uns don't know respect anymore."

"You're very welcome," I purred at Mousefur, feeling my ears glow with happiness. "And now," I added backing out of the den "I will leave you in peace to her Purdy's story!" I turned and padded off to the rocks where the elders had been basking earlier, which were now occupied by Lionblaze and Berrynose.

My heart glowed at the thought of Berrynose; he was such a wonderful cat, once he stopped acting so haughty. I know why he did it. He was always trying to prove that he was a true Clan cat, even though he was born at the horseplace. He reminded me a bit of Firestar and Brambleclaw, they too had to prove their loyalty. Berrynose just dealt with it in a different way: by covering up his insecurity with bossiness.

I bounded up onto the rocks to join Lionblaze and my mate, enjoying the warmth on my dappled tabby pelt I sat down next to Berrynose, just as Lionblaze lay down on his back, letting the heat soak into his fur. I turned back to my mate, who had started grooming my shoulder. I looked into his bright eyes, which were shining with love, and licked his cheek gently. He bent his cream-coloured head towards my ear, his whickers tickling my fur.

"We'll have kits like that one day" he purred, twitching his ear towards playing in the clearing close by. His voice was so gentle; if only everyone else could see him like I did. I blinked back at him shyly.

"I'd like that," I purred back at him, wishing that this moment could last forever. But, of course, it couldn't so, while Berrynose carried on grooming me, I watched Millie and Greystripe's kits play. I felt Berrynose's tongue rasping against my shoulder fur and I closed my eyes.

"You'll make a wonderful mother," he murmured into my ear, his whiskers tickling my ear fur. I opened my eyes again and gazed right back into his. Then, I looked back to the kits.

"Watch me! Watch me!" I heard Blossomkit's mew coming from a little way across the clearing. "I can leap higher than any cat!"

"No, you can't, I can!" Bumblekit argued.

Briarkit, meanwhile, had fallen and rolled over so that she was next to a crack in the rock wall. Leaping up, she balanced on her hind legs, with her forepaws stretching up into the air.

"I bet you can do this!" she boasted to her siblings, who were watching her wobble crazily, trying to stay upright.

But I was distracted; while this was going on, I saw a long, dark shadow emerging from the crack in the wall behind Briarkit. I recognised it for what it was: a snake! I prepared to spring and, as I did so, I heard Lionblaze sit bolt upright. But then, I sprang down and forward and, as my paws hit the ground, I bundled Briarkit out of the way, pushing her to safety. But before I could move out of the way myself, I felt a ripple of air behind me as hooked fangs buried themselves into my shoulder.

My vision started to dim, as I felt a fire searing through my veins, causing unimaginable pain. I sprang backwards, managing to screech "Help!" through the pain. It became too much, and I fell on the ground, my side hitting the rocky floor first. I felt Berrynose crouched down next to me; his presence helped to slow my breathing a little, but it was fast and every breath was weakening me. I felt my legs splayed out and blood trickling from my shoulder where the snake had bitten me clumping my fur.

I saw two familiar heads above me, one tortoiseshell, the other golden-brown tabby. Sorreltail and Brackenfur. I saw the terror in their eyes as they looked at me, then Cinderheart's grey head bend over me, her dark blue eyes showing the same expression. Sorreltail pressed her head into Brackenfur's shoulder. "Not again," I heard her whisper. "I can't lose another kit! Not after Molepaw! Please, StarClan..." I felt so guilty about leaving her, that I was causing her so much pain. Then Hollyleaf's voice asked someone something.

"Where is Poppyfrost?" I heard her mutter.

"Out on patrol," replied a voice that I recognised as Lionblaze's. "She-". But he never finished his sentence. Leafpool pushed her way through the crowd.

"Stand back and give me some room," she ordered to the cats around her. They all backed away, except for Berrynose, who stayed stubbornly at my side, his warm cream pelt pressed into mine.

"I'm not leaving," he snarled back at the medicine cat, but Leafpool ignored him. Instead, she crouched down next to me and I felt a paw rest on my shoulder.

"Try not to move," came her quiet mew. _It's not like I can help it_ I thought, almost yowling in pain. The blackness was creeping in on my vision. I started to writhe and twitch in pain.

"Help me!" I cried. "My blood is on fire! Help me, please! It hurts so much!" Berrynose looked at Leafpool.

"Do something!" he hissed at her, then turned to the crowd of cats and pleaded with them. "One of you, Do something!" By now, I was struggling for breath, and every effort made me writhe in pain.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" I heard my mother hiss at Leafpool, who was gazing blankly down at me. I waited for the reply, my blood burning more than ever.

"I'm so sorry," I heard Leafpool whisper. "There's nothing I can do. The poison has taken hold of her." At these words, I started giving up hope and so, it seemed, was Sorreltail. She let out a yowl of anguish, and I saw a golden-brown tail wrap itself around her shoulders. Now, I was in so much pain that my legs folded my belly and I arched my back in agony. I felt a spasm pass through me, and I knew my time was near its end. My legs continued to twitch, and blackness was creeping further and further into my vision.

I felt every cat draw away from me, giving Berrynose space to help me to StarClan. I felt his paw stroking my fur gently and his voice filtered into my ears. "We would have had wonderful kits together," he murmured. "Just as strong and beautiful as you." And one day, I'll see you in StarClan." Even through the pain, I felt a warm glow fill my heart, and I tried to reply. I tried to tell him "I love you", but I'm not sure whether he understood the rasping noises that issued from my mouth. He carried on. "You saved Briarkit's life," he mewed, bending his head to lick mine. "Every cat in StarClan will honour you."

I let out the last noise I would make while alive; a great sigh of relief. I was not afraid of death now. I would see my ancestors, my mother's parents, Willowpelt and Whitestorm, and my uncles, Sootfur and Rainwhisker. I would see my brother, Molepaw, and Frostfur and Lionheart, Redtail and Spottedleaf too. But most importantly, I would meet Cinderpelt, my father's sister and the cat who saved Sorreltail in the badger attack. I closed my eyes, and blackness closed over my eyes.

* * *

I opened my eyes, and saw a silvery grey she-cat with unusually blue eyes gazing down at me. When she saw that I my eyes were open, she gave a slight purr. "Greetings, young one," she meowed, her voice soft. "I am Willowpelt, and I am here to help you on your journey to StarClan."

"Where am I now, then?" I asked, looking around at the blackness that surrounded me.

"You are in the place between the living and StarClan," explained Willowpelt. "Before leadin you to StarClan, you watch your clanmates share tongues with you one last time. It can be painful to watch, because you are leaving them behind, but it is a tradition that most cats are thankful for."

As Willowpelt spoke, I looked down and gasped. I seemed to be suspended in mid-air above the ThunderClan camp. I saw Firestar laying out my dead body, which the elders had prepared for burial, and Cinderheart, Sorreltail, Berrynose, Brackenfur and Poppyfrost already gathering around it. Grief shook me as I saw the pain in my family and mate's faces, and I understood what Willowpelt had said about it being a painful experience. Then I remembered something.

"What happened to Briarkit," I demanded, turning back to Willowpelt. "Is she alright?"

"She is alive and asleep, thanks to you; she is only shocked," she replied, gazing down at me. I gave a sigh of relief; Briarkit was alright. I would have felt guilty forever if she hadn't survived. I turned my attention back to my family down below. My body had been arranged so that I looked as if I was sleeping. I now saw, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze and Jayfeather with their noses buried in my fur. Many other cats were also approaching, but first giving my family and closest friends time and space to grieve first.

Mousefur had now reached me and whispered, "The last thing she ever did was to fetch me some fresh-kill from the pile. Better that it had been me that had died than her." I realised with a pang of sorrow that she was feeling guilty about my death, even though there was nothing she could have done about it. I saw Longtail wrap his tail comfortingly around her as they both licked my fur gently. I crouched down on the ground to watch, putting my head on my paws.

The whole night I watched cats keeping vigil for me, feeling sad, yet enjoying the experience at the same time. I understood what Willowpelt had said; it was saddening to see cats grieve, but I was the last time they shared tongues with me until they too, reached StarClan. When cats started getting to their paws, I realised that my vigil was over and that it was dawn. I watched Firestar and Brambleclaw, as Clan leader and deputy, lower me into the hole that was to be my grave. I saw Berrynose, give one last, lingering look at my body, then nodded at Firestar and Brambleclaw, who seemed to be waiting for him to give the signal. Together, the three of them heaped earth over my body, covering my grave.

Firestar and Brambleclaw started to move away, but Berrynose remained where he was. He knelt down and pressed his chin into the earth, in the spot above where my heart lay. I heard him whisper, "Goodbye, Honeyfern. I will see you again in StarClan." As he padded away, I wearily got to my paws and stretched my stiff muscles. A noise from behind me made me jump and turn around. I saw Willowpelt padding towards me; I had never noticed that she had gone, but I thought she wanted to let me grieve in peace.

"Are you ready to enter StarClan?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"Yes, I am," I replied, knowing that I had finished grieving.

"Then follow me," meowed Willowpelt, and she bounded upward. Instinctively, I knew what to do and I simply imagined myself following her path. My paws obeyed me, and I ran after her, soon catching up.

In the distance, I saw many faint lights twinkling at me. As we drew nearer, I realised they were stars, each one a warrior waiting to greet me. The stars grew larger and larger as we approached, and I discovered that each cat was not one star, but had many shimmering all over their pelts. A shape bounded forward to greet me and, as it got closer, I saw that it was a small, brownish-ginger tabby tom, who looked at bit like Brackenfur. I recognised him at once, though I had not seen him for moons.

"Molepaw!" I exclaimed, rushing towards him. He greeted me with purrs as he rubbed his head against my shoulder, which was the highest part of me he could reach.

"Honeyfern!" he purred back, drawing away from me slightly. "Welcome to StarClan, " he added, looking at me with his great amber eyes, "Only I wish it was under different circumstances. I wish you had not been taken as such a young warrior, I wish you could have stayed with Berrynose."

I stared at him in surprise. "But," I started, "You never got to have a mate either."

"And that is what makes me feel for you, because I went through the same thing," he replied sadly. But before I could answer, more cats started milling around us. Pelts of different colours surrounded me: pure white, tortoiseshell, golden-brown, dark grey, light grey. Cat surrounded me who I somehow instantly recognised. Lionheart, Goldenflower, Whitestorm, Frostfur, Spottedleaf, Redtail, Sootfur, Rainwhisker. All were family, all were welcoming.

But it had been a long night, watching my Clanmates and, after cats had surrounded me, I told them that I wanted to sleep. They instantly made way and I saw a den, just like the warriors one in the ThunderClan camp. I saw an unoccupied nest and I flopped down in it, my paws no longer holding my weight, and fell asleep.

**Yeah, I know the Erin Hunters don't know who Brackenfur's father is; it could be either Whitestorm ****_or_**** Lionheart, but as Whitestorm was Sorreltail's father, I decided that Lionheart was Brackenfur's father, otherwise Brackenfur and Sorreltail would be half-siblings!**

**Also, I don't know Molepaw's pelt colour, so I just made it up!**


End file.
